Semiautomatic apparatus for spraying oil on articles



E. L. MALHIOT Aug. 15, 195o SEMIAUTOMATIC APPARATUS FOR SPRYING OIL 0N ARTICLES Filed may z2, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 AIR BY v 4 TTORIVY Patented Aug. 151, 195() Sietse sEMIAU'roMATIo APPARATUS FOR sPRAYING. oIL oN ARTICLES i l'Eu'g'ene L. Malhiot, Maywood, Ill., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Y "This invention relates to apparatus for sprayingr articlesand morepartlcularlywto an apparatus for :iling': telephone' equipment banks.

`v It is an object of 'theprsent invention to` pro- Vdeasimpleapparatus ,for efficiently and effectively 'spraying articles. I

`lin one embodiment of the invention, step by step"` telephone "system banks "areV placedon a supporting plate ,in a'row between 'a" pair of guide railsfand {move'd against a Astopmemberfwhich positions an intermediate one of the banks in the row overan aperture in the plate, Where itis Vadapted to receive a ,chargeof oil inthe formlof a mist projected upwardly from an oil spray gun mounted below the aperture. An electrical control` mechanism, including' a switch, which is actuated by the movement of the banksagainst the stopLmernber,` causesthe oil gun to spray a pre'- deterruined` amount of oil upwardly through V,the

aperture.; Qntothebank located directly there above, Afterthe l,intermediate one of the row of banks disposed above'the aperture has been oiled',

,the Afp` vious'ly ,Oiled` bank at theleading end of the row" may bereniove'd land an unoiled bank added tothe other end `of the row,V and advanced t o` move the row againstthestop member, thereb y 'positioning an,Y unoiledfbank over .theI opere l ture and actuating the control mechanism toy effecttliekf'oilingfof saidlast-mentioned bank.

fThei'nvention. willY be more'.fullyjunderstood fronff the 4follovvi'ng description when considered in ,connection with ,the` accompanying drawings illustrating afprefer'red embodiment thereofin which v Fig'. 1 is 'a `fragmentaryplan view ofthe apparatus with parts vin section; f r Fig. 2 is a. vertical' sectional View of the apparatustaken on the line 22Vof Fig'. 1 and showing,} indot anddash lines, a row of banks in positionon the apparatus;A

Fig. 3 is ,a vertical sectional Vviewofthe apparatus takenbon .the'line 3,-3 of-.Fig. 2 and-indi eating a bank thereon in dot and'dashlines;

Fig. 4 is ,a'verticalvdetail cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig.'1 andshowing a with )its oil supply and Vair connections thereto and the electricalcontrol circuitfor controlling the operation thereof The apparatus r her ein illustrated, comprising one embodiment of the invention, is designed to"- oil the wiper'ends l0 of terminalmembers Il on,v

telephone equipmentbanks l2. Thebanks l2 are subjected to an 'oil spray beforebeng assembled Amui'atimi May 22, 1947seria1 No. 749,814

solaires. (o1. 91-45) into larger units of telephone' equipment. f Each bank comprises a plurality of arcuatelyfshaped card units on which the terminals Il are mounted, withthe Wiper ends thereof extending radially inwardly, and the card units mare clamped togetherbetween end clamping plates by a pluralityV of clamping posts. Y.

The oiling apparatus comprises a; supporting table or plate 2| suitably mounted 'in a benchr top 22 (Fig. 2), which table is provided withv ar rectangular aperture 24. The aperture 24 is of such a size as to unmask or expose thev Wiper'endsl of all of thev terminals of a bank l2 placed there'- above. The banks l2 are adapted to be placed on the table 2| side by side in a row with' the wiper ends lil of the terminals directed down- Wardly, as indicated in Fig. 4, yand successively moved into position above the aperturev 2li; in which position they receive a charge of oil spray. A pair of rails 26 and 2l are secured to the' upper side of the table 2l on opposite sides of the-apere ture 24 and, together with the lplate, form a guideway to position the banks I2 endwiserelative to the aperture and to guide the' banlrsifor movementV on the apparatus. Semi-cylindrical blocks 28 and 29 are mounted on the upper surface of the plate 2| adjacent theaperture 24 to form vertical `extensions of the oppositewall por'- tions of the aperture to conform generallyv to the arcuate underside of the banks i25- v ri'V spray gun 32, disposed in verticalalignment with the Vertical axis of theaper'ture 24,is mounted below the plate 2l on a bracket 31 depending therefrom and is connected by a conduit 35 (Fig. 5) to an oil supply 36 and by the conduit 3l to a, source of compressed airadmitted to the spray gun'32 under control of a `solenoid",operiated valve 39. The solenoidoperated valve is actuated under control of an kelectrical circuit including a switch 4l, which is mounted on the upper side y,of the plate v2| in the path of movement of thebanks l2. The switch il is spaced from the aperture 24 so that when a row of banks I2, placed on the table between the guide rails 26 and 21, is moved into engagement therewith, the switch will be actuated thereby andv willalso stop them in a positionsothat one of. .the banks is .located above and in alignment with the aperture 24, as` indicated in Fig. 2. The switch V4l may thus -act as, a stoppforthe row ofkbanks l2', buty preferably astop member 43, in' the form of an' angle member, is secured to the plate '2l to stop the banks l2 on the table in a position to properly: align one of them with the aperture 24, A` semi( cylindrical casing or hood 45 is positioned over" the portion of the apparatus immediately above the aperture 24 and it is connected, through a rearwardly extending portion 46 and a conduit 41, to an exhaust system, not shown, for exhausting the excess oil fumes. A casing 4S is secured to the under side of the plate 2l and encloses the spray gun 3?K for,I receiving the oilr which might accumulate. duringthe operation of the appa,- ratus and which oil may be drained therefrom through a valve 5D mounted on the lower portion i.

of the casing 49.

In the apparatus, space is provided between.'the4 stop member 43 and the hood 45 greater than the width of the bank l2 so that the oiled barils at the leading end of the row ci banks moved into engagement with the stop 4%' is accessi-blc and may be removed by the operator oncompletion of the cycle of operation. The rail 2l is, accordingly, terminated at 49 in spaceda rel-ation to the stop 43 to permit the oiled end bank to be removed froma the1 apparatus by; sliding,v it forwalzdly. With; the foremost bariliremoved from the an unoil'ed banl may be; added; tofthe leithand: end.- oli` the row and movedy to the; right tos advance therow of banks agflintv the Stop@ 4.3;. movement; ci the row banks will position an unoiled banlr` above the aperture 2:4 andi-also cause thefactuatioh or the switch-4l The actuatienofs ther.switch:` itl,Y through; the control circuit, will; cause the spray: guniZ. to discharge aprecia1 tesmmed amount of; eil" in the formA of;l an,r o il spray? upwardly through the'- aperture 24g onto tha lower` portiony of the barils located; immediatelyabove-l it. cycle; ofiy operati-on may he contiimedz until the desired number of-jban-ltsghas been/cited;

smtchwfi iin the control: circuit is, of; the single pole-double-throw type;I in which.; the pole which. connected, to a line- 63;- or a pairA of lines 5a and: 5 4, normally enga-ges the contact,v 5t.: and is movable outy ofengagement thx-:revvithz into engagement with theI contact 5J whensthef switch 4,1; isactuated bythe; movement the row: ot han-ks l2., 'Phe Contact 5o is conr-xectefslsA taoneerid oithe winding.- 5% of a slow-tooperate solenoidV type' relay 595. the'other side. of, their winding- -of whichy is. connectedz to-thepOWcr line 5 4. (oritactfv i'of: switch: 4.1: is connectedfto thevmovable contact member (il.A of the relay 5,9- and whenA the circuit toA the coil; 5.8, closed, shown in, Fig. 5;v coil E18-.vis energized and acts, through; linkage 60, to. move the eontactmember (i2-lf.L out of engagement with.- a contactl 6,2l of` the relay, EA).Y The contact- 52, is connected to amovable contact mem-loer 63. of`r a. solenoid type slow- 4 and 10, connected thereto in parallel, to the line 54. On completion of the power circuit to the coil '10, the coil is energized to actuate the valve 39 and cause the gun 32 to project a spray of oil upwardly, as previously described. The relay 64, as previously stated, is of a slow-acting type so that the cell 65 thereot opt-mates aftera predeterminedz time interval to di'sengagev they-movable contact 66 from the co-ntact 61 to open the circuit to the coil 'l0 of the valve 39 and terminate the operation of the spray gun 32. 'Ihus the slowactingrelay- 64 controls the duration of the opertoi-@pepate relay 64 andI also to one side of the winding; of. the coil 6251 ci, the relay 64, the other,

sident the winding of, thecoil 65 being connected` and contact 6,1 is, connected to one side ofA the winding 1B, of, the. solenoid 'actuated valve 39,..the, other, side. of the winding of whichA isconnected back toxthe line 5L When theA row of.r banks. is moved, to actuatethe switch. 4I., thepolef52 is-movediromngagemelltwith the contact 5,5 into` engagement. with thecontact. 5T., which movement' of.4 the pole A52 breakathe, circui'tto and,deenergizes coil whichl, in. turn, effects thev movement of the contact. member, Ell toa position in engagement with the contact, 62. A, circuit, isthereby completed from the linev 53 through theswi-tch 4l ,Contact mem.- ber Ggf, andA contacttZ of, relay 59..to the,V contact member 6,32 of' relay 641, andi throughithefvcoil's 6,5,

atiorlA ofthe oil gun 32 and serves, after actuation, to main-tain the circuit to the coil 10 -open until the; circuit tothe relay 64 is opened through the switch. M. bythe removal of the bank I2 engaging it. With theV removal of the bank, the switch 4I is restored to its normal' position which, in turn, leeioresthe relays 59 and 64 to their normal operating condition, as indicated in Fig. 5. The relay 59 aspreviously stated.fr isof the slow-acting; type, which imposes. apredetermined time, delay: before its operation ior the; purpose ot aveidinganyiluttering.- movement of themovable contact mem-ber ilr dueto the inadvertent., opening. and. closing of means for stoppinesaid' row of articles in a predeterminedripositlonlon saidguideway, said" guidewav being formed with an aperture therein to expose predetermined norti'onsgofgtle articles ar'- ranged in said' row, a spray glmmountedlii align.-

. ment with saidgaperture for projecting a sp1-'ay therethrough onto.. the. articles, exposed by' said aperture, and'v contrer means operable ,in response to the movement ofon'e ogfjsaictA row ojfy articles and the' engagement off the fjczifeirlosj; article4 in said row with. said' stop means fOr Causing said' Suray to: direct a prdetermnedamount o f spray' through said' aperture, said" guidwayv being arranged` to p'errnit sprayed articles to be; removedfrom the forward endL ofthe row' and unsprayed articles to be added ,to the. other end; of the row and advancedto move the row' ci articles intoA engagementwith Yi'll'legstop means;

l 2". An apparatus for spraying articles comprising an apertured guideway; for supporting' apluralit'y of" articles in' a row and' f or guiding saidL mined; position tio locate an' intermediate one of: said articles m alignment; with' saidL aperture, av

spray gun mountedfin alignment with-said aperture for projectingV aspraytheretliough' 4onto the' article aligned therewith, a switch operable in response to the movement O said"Y rjowof articles' into engagement with saidstop', arid'means op'- erable in response to the actuation:or` said'switcli for causing said spray sun; to croient a spray through said aperture forI a predctlfrll'ined'l intervalof ti1ine.

3. Anapoaratus foroilngjbanks comprising@ apertured table for supporting a series of individual banks for movement thereon, members for guiding said banks on said table in a predetermined path over said aperture, an oil gun disposed below said table in. alignment with said aperture and operable to direct a spray of oil upwardly through said aperture, a switch mounted on said table in the path of movement of said banks and adapted to be actuated by said banks, means to stop said series of banks in a predetermined position whereby one of the banks is located above said aperture, and electrical control means including said switch for actuating said spray gun to spray oil through said aperture onto the bank positioned thereabove for a predetermined length of time in response to the actuation of said switch.

4. An apparatus for oiling banks comprising an apertured -plate for supporting a series of banks thereon, guide members for guiding said banks for movement on said table in a predetermined path over said aperture, a spray head disposed below said plate in alignment with said aperture and operable to direct a spray of oil upwardly through said aperture, a stop member mounted on said plate in the path of movement or" said banks at a predetermined distance from said aperture for stopping said banks in a predetermined position on the plate whereby one of the banks is located above said aperture, a switch mounted on said supporting plate adapted to be closed by a bank moved into engagement with said stop member, and an electrical control means. including said switch for actuating said spray gun to eject a predetermined amount of oil through said aperture onto the bank positioned thereabove in response to the actuation of said switch.

5. An apparatus for oiling banks comprising an apertured plate for supporting a plurality of banks thereon, guide members for locating said banks in a row and for guiding said banks successively in alignment with the aperture in said plate, a spray gun disposed below said plate in alignment with said aperture therein and operable to project a spray of oil upwardly through said aperture, conduit means through which the oil fumes may be exhausted including a portion mounted on said plate over said aperture and forming a tunnel through which said banks are advanced, a stop member on said plate for stopping said banks in a predetermined position on the plate whereby an intermediate one of said banks in said row is located above said aperture, said stop member being spaced from said tunnel whereby, when said row of banks is moved into engagement with said stop member, the foremost bank is accessible for removal from the apparatus, a switch positioned to be actuated by a bank moved into engagement with said stop member, and an electrical control means operable in response to the actuation of said switch for causing said gun to spray a predetermined amount of oil through said aperture.

6. An apparatus for spraying restricted portions of articles comprising an apertured table for supporting a plurality of articles, means for guiding said articles for movement over said aperture, a spray gun mounted in alignment with said aperture for projecting a spray therethrough onto said articles, a switch actuated by one of said articles when another one of said plurality of articles is in predetermined alignment with said aperture, a power circuit connected to said switch, a solenoid actuated valve connectible to said power circuit for controlling the operation of said spray gun, a rst slow-to-act relay normally connected to' said solenoid Valve and operable in response to the actuation of said relay to disconnect said solenoid actuated valve after a predetermined time interval, a second slow-to-act relay connected to said switch and operable in response to the actuation of said switch to complete the power circuit to said first relay and said solenoid actuated valve whereby said 'Salve is actuated for a predetermined interval of time to cause said spray gun to operate for said predetermined time.

EUGENE L. MALI-HOT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,885,453 Larso-n Nov. l, 1932 2,252,432 Klamont Aug. 12, 1941 2,350,708 Roselund June 6, 1944 2,383,023 Sykes et al Aug. 21, 1945 2,421,343 Mageoch May 27, 1947 2,423,036 Mageoch June 24, 1947 

